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<p>the fact is, you are parents. what you know is limited to press guide propaganda, cheery eyed tour guides, and the distorted and watered down accounts of student life most freshman tell their parents<<<</p>
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<p>just for the record, i want to point out why I'm in a good position to have opinions about GW, and no, they are not based on watered down accounts from my freshman daughter. (She barely tells me anything!) I am a professor at similar urban university (bigger, but also private) and I have many colleagues who teach at (as well as many students who have studied at) GW. In various capacities over the years, I have met many GW students doing post-graduat work--many of whom are quite serious about their studies and who availed themselves of the opportunities there.</p>
<p>Sure, at a big school students have lots of options, and one of those is slacking off and spending a lot of time partying. But that's only one option and usually, after freshman year, most students decide that's not a great way to spend their own (or their parents) money.</p>
<p>Which is not to say that the OP is not right to transfer out if he feels the school is not right for him. But he (or she) seems to be making the decison based on a fairly limited view.</p>
<p>I am def trasferring out of GW. IT is all preppy prep school kids from the NE. I hate this place and foggy bottom is awful. Nothing to do. The parties here are going to clubs which is not my thing. Overpriced school and not worth it. I want to go to PENN</p>
<p>that would cost you about $10,000 dollars less a year, and would give you a degree from a school that is ranked 49 spots higher. although i don't think the atmosphere would be much different. you most definitely won't be getting any further away from rich NE kids who like to go to clubs. and i'd say west Philadelphia makes foggy bottom look like Times square or where ever you consider a place where there is "a lot to do", which probably isn't many if you consider foggy bottom not among such places.</p>
<p>Penn is for the most part in a pretty nice area. People like to say West Philly is like Camden when it really isnt for the most part. Also, house parties are much bigger there than clubbing. The atmosphere at Penn, compared to GW is vastly different.</p>
<p>bo5ton seems to be right about the clubbing.
yeah the kids interviewed seem to be poor white southerners. they seem indistinguishable from any of the jappy dudes or girls that i've met at gwu. and don't come off as any smarter either.
you're just going to be going further into the heart of this rich NE thing at penn imo.</p>
<p>Well I'm from Philly, so I'd hope I'm right...As far as the kids go, I know a TON of people at Penn and for the most part, theyre middle to upper middle to upper class. Most kids are insanely chill and nice kids.</p>
<p>Preppy kids, and nothing to do ? My S just graduated and he was definitely not a prep school kid. Loved the school. I think you'll find that the Ivy's are full of a boat load of prep school kids, so if you're really looking for a school that doesn't have preppies, perhaps you should consider a different set of schools entirely. </p>
<p>You don't have to justify a personal preference. GW is either the school for you or it's not. But perhaps you should just say it's not your type of school. To say there is "nothing to do" in Wash DC is, frankly and respectfully, a bit wierd. My S could probably direct you to about a dozen museums, several art galleries, a few fairly major governmental buildings, etc etc. Now, if you say that the only thing to do is go to club parties, there is not much else anyone can say to help you.</p>
<p>i think all the schools in DC are completely enveloped in it. that's one of their big attractions, regardless of which DC school, and GW perhaps the most. i don't know how anyone can appreciate their school in DC if they aren't into DC.</p>
<p>hcm - you're absolutely right. There are plenty of kids who attend Bucknell and love it there; or many other similar LAC's in suburban or rural areas. If you're not into Washington DC, then DC schools are not going to be a good fit. If you're not into NYC, then don't apply to NYU.</p>
<p>By the same token, don't criticize the school for being located in DC or NYC. If you don't like art or history museums, parks, sitting in a great restaurant and chatting with 8-10 friends, attending concerts, that's fine. But don't say "there's nothing to do". That's like saying "I don't like yellow, so yellow is a bad color". If you hated DC, I'm unclear as to why you applied and enrolled there?</p>
<p>insofar as campus life is concerned, i can understand how someone who is more interested in a traditional college experience can find school at GW to be a bit irritating. foggy bottom is a downtown commercial district, not really a college town. if going to museums and hip clubs arent your thing, you might not feel much of a fit at GW...georgetown is more of a traditional college town and emanates that more relaxed suburban vibe. kids there go downtown to clubs and the monuments too, but its not by any means the majority of what happens there as it is at GW...this seems to be the result of being more secluded, self-contained, and less a part of DC proper. </p>
<p>GW and Foggy Bottom is nothing like ANN ARBOR or Chapel Hill. I now realize that and am getting out of here. This place is full of very, very ,very rich kids whose parents just send them money. I see it firsthand. The education you receive here is as good as a state school but $30000 more. Also, most profs are adjunct and teaching is their 3rd love and they don't care about their students. Finally, i would say from walking around this campus and seeing attire, 80% of the kids are prep school, private high school kids. It is hard to find public school kids here!. DONT Hail TO THE BUFF.</p>
<p>My dad is a professor at GW and he fills out a huge volume of transfer reccomendations for his students. He says he can definitely understand why one would want to transfer from the school. He and I both strongly dislike the attachment GW has to DC in that not only is it located in DC, DC IS essentially the GW campus. However, this is coming from my dad who attended a small semirural liberal arts school. I think the key for a school like GW is just making sure to do enough visits to make sure that you can handle the lack of campus and city feel. I know that I would not be comfortable in such an environment, but I'm sure many people love it.
However, my dad thinks that the real problem with GW lies in the cost. He laughs somedays when he comes home from work thinking about the HUGE sum of money that these kids are paying to attend the school. He really does not think the GW education is worth it. I think that when you consider the types of wealthy people GW draws it is probably okay because a lot of them don't have a problem affording it but whatever. My point is simply that my dad, as a professor at the university, thinks that most students there would be putting their money to much better use at a college with smaller classes, a "happier" environment, and friendlier students. However, this is just my dad and he is incredibly biased in that he loved his undergrad experience but still some food for thought.</p>
<p>bethyy~ you speak volumes! i applaud your candor. this is exactly what my d and family feel about GW, and i don't say it too often, to not offend anyone. but you and your dad have said it all. my d chose another DC school, after an incredible amount of thought. she would echo your sentiments. thanks for maybe helping someone else.</p>
<p>Didn't you do anything to look into the school before you applied? There are are hundreds of good colleges out there and most of them have campuses. Why didn't you chose one of them if that's what you wanted? GW is one of a few schools in a metropolitan area- like NYU or BU. Most of the kids there wanted that type of environment and that's why they are there. They like city living and are working or interning at exciting places which are easy commutes to the school. Campus schools are not for everyone, but if that's what you wanted, you should have done your homework before you applied. Many students are engaged in learning with small upper level classes with Professors who are interested in their students and engaged in and happy to be in DC. Again, why Bethy's Dad would teach at GW if he doesn't like being in DC is beyond me. Why would anyone be at GW if they didn't want to be in DC? Anyone who had done even a minimal amount of research would have figured that out!</p>
<p>lol this is turning into a hate GW fest. i think its being slightly exaggerated (black hole was a bit harsh lol) how bad it is. and as colonialmom said, some people like it. it is true that DC more or less is GW's campus, but that can be a good thing. it just depends on what you want. as for it being expensive, the majority don't pay near full price. the average aid award is something like 20 grand. lol if you want to bash GW just go to the georgetown section.</p>